WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and U.S. Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.) introduced the Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act of 2024 yesterday, legislation that would invest in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to help address the threat of climate change.

“Meeting our climate goals will require developing a robust market for technologies that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,”said Senator Coons. “The United States has the resources, expertise, and vision to be a global leader in this space and provide robust climate solutions for the planet. This legislation will promote American competitiveness, create good-paying jobs, and help secure a low-carbon future.”

“We will almost certainly fail to meet our emissions reductions goals, so carbon removal is going to be necessary to get the planet back into the climate safety zone. Our bill would invest in promising carbon removal strategies that draw down planet-warming emissions and have the potential to scale up and create jobs,” said Senator Whitehouse.

“Amidst record-shattering global warming and increasingly devastating climate-related disasters, the need for comprehensive action to address the climate crisis could not be more urgent,” said Representative Tonko. “Along with the key objective to rapidly reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, carbon removal will also play an important role in combatting climate change. Our legislation leverages the purchasing power of the federal government to foster innovation and remove harmful legacy emissions from our atmosphere, all while creating good-paying jobs and propelling forward our nation’s clean energy economy.”

“We are on the clock to address the climate crisis, and advancing carbon removal is a necessary step toward a clean energy economy,”said Representative Peters. “Our bill creates a sustainable, long-term market for direct air capture and other carbon removal processes — bolstering this nascent and critical industry for our climate future. The CDR Leadership Act is good for jobs, good for American global leadership, and good for the planet.”

The legislation is supported by more than one dozen organizations, whose statements of support can be viewed here.

The Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act of 2024:

  • Requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to remove an increasing amount of carbon dioxide emissions using direct air capture or other technology-based removal solutions; 
  • Ensures high standards for monitoring, reporting, and verifying carbon removals and for robust public engagement; 
  • Sets a declining per-ton price ceiling to incentivize cost reductions over time and give flexibility for the DOE to invest in nascent technologies with high potential; 
  • Creates a set-aside for newer CDR technologies to promote a broad portfolio of technologies; and
  • Prioritizes domestic job creation, environmental justice, innovative technologies, and community benefits. 

A fact sheet of the legislation can be viewed here. A summary of the legislation can be viewed here.